Toothbrush



Jan. 5, 1965 F. BAUER 3,163,874

TOOTHBRUSH Filed Nov. 22, 1963 INVENTOR.

FREDERICK BAUER ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,163,874 TQGTHBRUSH Frederick Bauer, 615 12th St, Wausau, Wis. Fiied Nov. 22, 1963, Ser. No. 325,564 3 (Iiaims. (Cl. 15-167) This invention relates to a toothbrush.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved and more efiicient toothbrush which is capable of brushing or cleaning all of the upper and lower teeth along the entire dental archsimultaneously through a simple biting action by the user after the brush is placed within the mouth between the upper and lower teeth. By this action, the brush cleanses the biting surfaces of all of the teeth as well as the inner and outer sides thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toothbrush of the character mentioned so constructed that the bristles thereof will not engage and irritate or damage the delicate mouth tissue of the cheeks and lips, outwardly of the teeth and gums.

Still another object is to provide a toothbrush of the character mentioned which will reduce the time required for brushing teeth and which by its construction and mode of operation requires the user to brush the teeth in the manner recommended by dentists, namely, with a vertical or up-and-down scrubbing action rather than a lateral or horizontal movement not recommended by dentists.

Another object is to provide a toothbrush which may be readily manufactured economically and which is sturdy and durable in construction, sanitary and reliable and efiicient in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following detailed description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the toothbrush according to one preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical section taken on line 22 of FIGURE 1 and showing diagrammatically the relationship of the upper and lower teeth to the brush during use,

FIGURE 3 is a transverse vertical section through one side or arm of a toothbrush according to a slight modification of the invention,

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a toothbrush in accordance with another modification or refinement,

FIGURE 5 is a vertical section taken on line 5.-5 of FIGURE 4, and

FIGURE 6 is an end elevational viewof one arm of the brush depicted in FIGURE 4.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration 3,163,874 iatented Jan. 5, 1965 sides or portions 13 and 14 is substantially uniform along the entire length of the generally U-shaped holder 12 and this spacing is suflicient to accommodate the upper and lower teeth in meeting or biting relation between the sides 13 and 14 with adequate clearance and to allow the desired cleaning action of bristles substantially simultaneously on the inner and outer side surfaces of the teeth and the meeting or biting surfaces thereof.

Bristles 16 of the natural or synthetic type have their corresponding ends firmly anchored to the frame or holder 12 by being twisted into and between the wires 17 which make up the frame 12. This arrangement whereby bristles are twisted in wire holders is broadly conventional and well-known in the art and need not be dealt with further herein. As shown in the drawings, the bristles 16 are provided on the wire holder 12 around the entire length of the same in a continuously and evenly distributed manner. The individual bristles extend radially of the frame 12 and all of the bristles may be of equal length. As best shown in FIGURE 2, the bristles 16 on the inner and outer sides 13 and 14 project inwardly'thereof in opposed intermeshing relation and some of the bristles project above and below the plane in which the holder 12 lies. Care is taken to assure that none of the bristles 16 project radially outwardly or beyond the outer sides of the holder 12 and this may be accomplished during manufacturing by trimming the bristles at 18 close to the outer margins of the sides 13 and 14 of the holder. The reason for this arrangement of bristles is to assure that sufficient bristles are provided on the brush in proper disposition to cleanse the inner and outer sides of all of the teeth and the biting surfaces of the teeth substantially simultaneously during a simple biting operation by the user when the brush is properly positioned in the mouth. The absence of bristles projecting radially outwardly of the holder sides assures that the delicate tissue of the cheeks and the tongue will not be abraded, irritated or damaged by the use of the brush.

During use, as shown diagrammatically in FIGURE 2, the handle is grasped and the frame or holder 12 is positioned in the mouth bodily between the upper and lower jaws and teeth in conformingrelation to the entire dental arch. While the brush is so positioned, the user may simply close his or her jaws to bring the upper and lower .teeth 19 and 20 together in bitingrelationship. When this is done, the upper and lower teeth enter between the U-shaped sides 13 and 14, of holder 12, as shown in FIGURE 2, and the bristles 16 arranged as shown are capable of scrubbing or cleaning simultaneously the meeting or chewing surfaces and also the inner and outer side are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, at-

tention is directed first to FIGURES 1 and 2, wherein the age adult size and an average childs size will be adequate to accommodate most, if not all, users. The frame or holder 12 thus has inner and outer generally U-shaped portions or sides 13 and 14 connected at their leading ends by arcuate bight portions 15, as shown. The anchoring ends 11 are integral with the outer side 14, as clearly depicted in FIGURE 1. The lateral spacing between the surfaces of all of the teeth. This cleaning action is continued by merely repeatedly opening and closing the jaws while holding the brush substantially stationary. If

desired, the jaws may be closed or partially closed and the brush may be reciprocated upwardly and downwardly and also laterally to some extent, if desired. It is believed that the operation or use will be clear 'without any further description.

In FIGURE 3, there is shown a slight modification of the brush structure wherein all parts are identical in construction and operation to the parts shown in FIGURES l and 2 with one important exception. The bristle holder or frame 12, FIGURE 3, is not formed of twisted wire but instead is formed of a suitable plastic or the like commonly employed to make conventional toothbrushes and other brushes. The bristles 16 in this embodiment of the invention are set in and anchored to the holder 12' during molding or in any conventional way well known in the art. The shape or configuration of the brush remains the same as in FIGURE 1, as does the arrangement of the bristles as previously described. The handle of the brush,

not shown inFlGURE 3, may if desired be formed integral with the body portion or holder 12'; understood that FIGURE 3 is a cross section through one side or arm only of the brush and that the latter embodies two arms or sides as depicted in FIGURE 2.

FIGURES 46 inclusive show another modification or refinement of the structure shown in FIGURES :1 .md 2. In FIGURES 4-6, the same handle 10 and twisted wire holder-12 previously described are still present, as are the identical bristles 16 twisted in the holder 12 and anchored thereto and arranged as in FIGURE 2. To further protect the tongue and checks, the exterior surfa'cesof the holder 12 are-covered throughout substantially the entire length of the holder by a resilient channel-like strip or guard 21 of plastic, rubber-like material or the like. The strip 21 is anchored to the holder, 12 in any preferred manner known in the art. If desired, the exterior faces of the holder may be coated with a suitable plastic coating com position for the same purpose. The strip 12 provides a smooth surface for contact with the cheeks and tongue and other delicate mouth tissue. The mode of operation of the brush in all disclosed forms thereof is identical to the It will be mode of operation described above in connection with FIGURES 1 and 2.v

It ,is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A toothbrush comprising a handle, a bristle holder secured to the handle and extending bodily forwardly thereof and being generally U-shap'ed and adapted to span substantially the entire human dental arch, said bristle holder being of continuous loop form and having inner and outer uniformly spaced sides and forward ends and adapted to receive all of the upper and lower teeth Within the confines of said sides and ends, and a multiplicity of bristles anchored to said holder and distributed along the entire length of the holder and arranged generally in opposed intermeshing relation on said spaced sides and projecting inwardly of the sides and somewhat above and below the sides but not outwardly thereof, whereby closing of the jaws of the user upon said bristles and within the confines of the holder. will brush substantially all surfaces of all upper and lower teeth.

2. The invention as defined by claim 1, and wherein all parts of said holder lie in a common plane, said plane also common to the axis of said handle.

3. A toothbrush comprising a handle, a bristle holder carried by the handle, said bristle holder being of sub-- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 726,544 4/03 Lahtle l5206 1,643,217 9/27 Lazarus 15-167 X 1,939,996 12/33 Lockwood 15-167 2,972,157 2/61 Peterson 15206 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,035,096 7/58 Germany. 7 12,516 7/97 Great Britain. 546,136 6/42 Great Britain.

CHARLES A. WILMUTH, PrfmmyExaminer. 

3. A TOOTHBRUSH COMPRISING A HANDLE, BRISTLE HOLDER CARRIED BY THE HANDLE, SAID BRISTLE HOLDER BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY CONTINUOUS LOOP FORM INCLUDING SIDES WHICH ARE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUIDISTANTLY SPACED THROUGHOUT THEIR LENGTHS AND CONNECTING END PORTIONS, SAID BRISTLE HOLDER HAVING AN OVERALL CONFIGURATION CONFORMING APPROXIMATELY TO THE COMPLETE DENTAL ARCH OF A HUMAN, AND A MULTIPLICITY OF 